LINES OF SAN MARTIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 133, 2 December 1944, Page 12

LINES OF SAN MARTIN

CLOSELY INBRED

INTERESTING EXPERIMENT

"The result of the Victoria Derby might hot have been profitable to the majority of racegoers, but in winning the classic San Martin registered a performance that deserved a vastly different reception from that accorded him. The outburst against the colt was, to say the least," writes "Lanius" in the Melbourne "Leader," "unseemly and undeserved. It is always regretable to hear a courageous horse hooted, particularly after a race like the Derby. The outburst, one of the worst ever witnessed at Flemington, did not redound to the credit of those who participated in it. •

"Two factors contributed to San Martin's success—his undoubted quality and the'skill of his trainer in preparing him for the race. There was not a fitter horse in the field, and his condition stood to him when his rider called upon him for an effort at the top of the straight. He was never badly placed and Breasley rode him with extreme patience and understanding. Even when Glen Rannock was bowling along with a substantial lead the jockey was content to remain in the middle of the field until they were in line for home. Taking full advantage of an' opening on the rails, Breasley shot San Martin to the front shortly after entering the straight, and in a twinkling established what proved to be a winning advantage.' UNUSUAL BLOOD LINES. "San Martin was bred at Shirley! Park, Woodend, by his owner, Mr. G. R. Nicholas, who imported both sire j and dam from England. It is highly' improbable that the mating of the colt's dam, Asphodel, with St. Magnus was a carefully-premeditated experiment in in-breeding. Many stud mas-! ters would doubtless have frowned i upon such a daring alliance, but re-, suits speak, and the commingling of several bloods of striking similarity in San Martin's case has been attended by exceedingly happy results for Mr. Nicholas, who, no. doubt, was well aware of the risk he was taking, but considered it worth while. . "Mr.1 Nicholas purchased both St. Magnus and Asphodel direct from their breeers —Lord Derby and Lord Rosebery respectively. As a result of the mating of the two importations we find both Phalaris and Scapa Flow occupying adjacent quarters in the third remove of San Martin's pedigree, and in the next remove the resultant double entry of Polymelus and Bromus alongside Chaucer and Anchora 1. Thus jfour of eight sections are taken up iby the same set of thoroughbreds. "The frequently-recurring set of names becomes still more pronounced as the table is extended, and St., Simon emerges as a strong factor with six infusions of his blood, introduced through La Fleche, Cheery, and Chaucer in the male line, and through Cheery, Chaucer, and St. Serf on the dam's side. San Martin also has five j strains of Pilgrimage, which enter his pedigree through Canterbury Pilgrim and Loved One. Tristan and Cyllene are well represented, and there are duplications of some eight or nine other sires, including Bona Vista, Hampton, and. Sainfoin, the last-named springing from the No. 2 family, to j which San Martin owes his genesis. "Unusual speed might well have been I expected from a colt bred on such lines, but his demonstration of stamina was puzzling to many students of breeding, particularly those who have their own set ideas on the subject of in-breeding and rigorously adhere to j orthodoxy. , - SUCCESSFUL" FAMILY. "Coming down in female line, we find that San Martin's grandam, Eos, was a winner of the Cambridgeshire. Her sire, Orby, won the Derby, while her jdam, Renaissance, was by St. Serf, a "son of St. Simon, who in.addition to winning the Ascot Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup, earned -undying fame at the stud, and exercised an extremely wide influence on the breeding of the thrbughbred throughout the world. Renaissance was out of Rinovata, a daughter of the St. Leger winner Wenlock, and Traviata, who was by'Cremorne, a son of Parmesan, .who was also a winner of the St. Leger. "There is an old English belief that the surest way to produce successful racehorses is to breed from thoroughbreds who have not only proved their ability on the racecourse, but whose parents and ancestors have been successful as racing propositions. Figuring in San Martin's pedigree are the names of winners of many of England's most important classics. Actually, there are 11 winners of the Derby,, nine of the St. Leger, two of the Oakt;, five of the Two Thousand Guineas, and three of the One Thousand Guineas." . [Unfortunately, further proof of the merit of the experiment in such intense inbreeding is not now possible, for San Martin broke a leg during the running of the Melbourne Cup.— "Binocular."]